SkyHighWormGuy
Member
Merry Christmas icmag
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SHWG indoor organic grow and raising worms
- Thread starter SkyHighWormGuy
- Start date
surfguitar
Member
Looking good skyhigh! I find with LOS you kinda just have to have faith and make sure your not being lazy and using the right inputs haha. Usually if you do that, stuff eventually starts working right 
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
Welcome guys!
Surfguitar, are you in no till pots now, how long and thoughts, por favor.
Surfguitar, are you in no till pots now, how long and thoughts, por favor.
BigRedColorado
New member
Hey SHWG, pulling up a chair. I'm running four 25 gallon no tills myself, and an old 15 gallon smarty for worms. I feel like I made an awesome breakthrough in my worm bin recently after I gave my plants a malted barley SST; I strained the grain off and let it dry overnight and then fed it to the worms. They fucking love it! I had been doing a poor job of providing them with good food (thought I could just go down the vegetable scraps route). After about a week I saw a big jump in population growth and lots of tiny babies everywhere.
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
BRC,
Welcome aboard. My worms love carrot peels, cardboard, and comfrey.
This summer we will be constructing a 50' long outdoor worm bed, borrowing the concept from John Anderson, in Fort Collins. If you haven't met him, you should. We are planting comfrey right by the worm bed and that will produce much of the needed food.
Kelp, oyster shell flour, fish meal, etc etc etc find their way into the worm bin as well.
Also, I think Adam Dunn show just had an episode on worms. I haven't listened to it yet. It might be good, or not, idk
Welcome aboard. My worms love carrot peels, cardboard, and comfrey.
This summer we will be constructing a 50' long outdoor worm bed, borrowing the concept from John Anderson, in Fort Collins. If you haven't met him, you should. We are planting comfrey right by the worm bed and that will produce much of the needed food.
Kelp, oyster shell flour, fish meal, etc etc etc find their way into the worm bin as well.
Also, I think Adam Dunn show just had an episode on worms. I haven't listened to it yet. It might be good, or not, idk
I just grabbed an amazing commercial flow through worm bin off Craig's List for FREE! I just had to go haul it home. Weighs over a ton, made of heavy duty 2x2" square tubing. They retail for over $8500 and this one had all the extra options added. Measures 16' x 4' x 4'. The thing hardly ever got used. They broke the cable for the winches early on and never fixed it.
To top it all off I also am scheduled to pick up a free vegan compost pile loaded with red wigglers, about 4 yards/cu worth. That's more than enough to populate the new bin. I hope to start harvesting the castings by June. Inputs are rated at 100 lbs per day and harvests about 500 lbs per week, according to the site.
Sorry to brag or sidetrack a good thread. You folks are probably the only ones on the forum who understand. Worms F'n rock! I'm so stoked. Take care everyone.
To top it all off I also am scheduled to pick up a free vegan compost pile loaded with red wigglers, about 4 yards/cu worth. That's more than enough to populate the new bin. I hope to start harvesting the castings by June. Inputs are rated at 100 lbs per day and harvests about 500 lbs per week, according to the site.
Sorry to brag or sidetrack a good thread. You folks are probably the only ones on the forum who understand. Worms F'n rock! I'm so stoked. Take care everyone.
Great thread, looking forward to more of those G13 hashplant crosses from Bodhi!
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
Sluicebox, good find! I'm jelly!
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
I have a shit load of updates to do here... I'll start with worms. I've been dividing and growing the herd. We now have 8 worm bins going, the plan is to build a large outdoor all season worm bed this spring, I'd like to have a decent starting population. We also have about 20 new comfrey plants inside in pots waiting for spring. Planning on growing comfrey here on site to use as worm food. Comfrey, if you are not already in the know, is an amazing plant on the farm/in the garden. It's a dynamic accumulator plant and produces more bio mass than just about anything else. It's a perennial and it's (bocking 14 cultivar) sterile and won't take over your property.
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
Me, too, Moses. Next purchase will certainly be Bodhi Secret Chief (SFV OG kush X 88g13/hp)
No timeframe on when though.
No timeframe on when though.
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
these sturdy bins from home depot are great for small scale production. I designed a status bar (masking tape) to help keep track of whats going on with each individual bin. feedings, harvest of castings, worms, etc.
each bin was started with some SPM (hydrated with aloe water) for bedding and they have been munching restaurant veggie scraps mainly. they are eating fast and furious. these bins are kept at room temp.
another bin is in the kitchen and we put all our espresso and coffee waste, veggie waste, roasted egg shells, and some cardboard shredded up in here. worms eating garbage > landfill.
in the garage, probably around 50 degrees F, give or take is the large smartpot bin. I harvested 40 dozen worms for bait fisherman and it didn't seem to dent the population much.
after keeping worms in a smartpot for years, id say these home depot bins, and method work much better for small scale home production of worms and vermicompost.
each bin was started with some SPM (hydrated with aloe water) for bedding and they have been munching restaurant veggie scraps mainly. they are eating fast and furious. these bins are kept at room temp.
another bin is in the kitchen and we put all our espresso and coffee waste, veggie waste, roasted egg shells, and some cardboard shredded up in here. worms eating garbage > landfill.
in the garage, probably around 50 degrees F, give or take is the large smartpot bin. I harvested 40 dozen worms for bait fisherman and it didn't seem to dent the population much.
after keeping worms in a smartpot for years, id say these home depot bins, and method work much better for small scale home production of worms and vermicompost.
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
the way we garden is changing. well the way we flower specifically. I'm done with the perpetual flower tent, it has proved to be too difficult for me to keep the tent full. I kept trying and kept failing at it.
we are now flowering 12 plants (medically and legally) all at the same time. this allows for some extra veg time in the flower tent under 2400w. I think its gonna serve our interests better.
Keep running out of meds.
My Tahoe OG kush @ 11 weeks has blown minds. organics for the win in the flavor department, no contest!
we are now flowering 12 plants (medically and legally) all at the same time. this allows for some extra veg time in the flower tent under 2400w. I think its gonna serve our interests better.
Keep running out of meds.
My Tahoe OG kush @ 11 weeks has blown minds. organics for the win in the flavor department, no contest!
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
ive been working on a new soil mix. I could really use some help and constructive input with this. I want an organic long term no till mix that work better than what ive currently been using, the original version of the coots mix. base mix being 1/3 worm castings 1/3 aeration and 1/3 peat. ive already received a little input so far and have made a few adjustments to my original new draft mix, namely the reduction in the percentage of castings in the mix, replacing some of the castings and some of the peat with screened top soil, as it wont get eaten and become castings in the mix over time. Ive added some bio char and some malted barley seed to the mix both I think will be helpful to the soil biology. ive removed oyster shell flour and replaced with microna lime, based on a recommendation. microna lime looks to be a great available source of calcium, but ive never used it and am having some difficulty finding it to purchase. amazon has a 50 lb bag for 17, but 65 shipping no can do that. this is a work in progress thanks in advance for the help!!!!
SHWG Organic Cannabis Loving Soil Mix version 1.3
base mix
30% scoria
25% screened top soil
20% SPM (pre-hydrated with aloe water)
15% premium fresh screened vermicompost
5% bio char, charged with compost tea
5% malted barley seed, whole
1). mix well and hydrate with some aloe water if needed
amendments per cubic foot of total soil volume
1 cup fresh chopped comfrey
1 cup glacial rock dust
1 cup gypsum
.5 cup oyster shell flour
.5 cup ag lime, fine
1 cup kelp meal
.5 cup fish meal
2) mix well and hydrate with aloe water
3) put soil into pots
4) plant dutch white clover seed immediately
5) pots ready for cannabis in about a week or two, use the clovers response to the mix to gauge the readiness of the soil mix.
this mix is designed to be a complete water only soil that is ideal for all life stages of your plants. compost teas, top dressing applications, botanical and enzyme teas are all quite compatible with the mix and may increase productivity, however are not necessary. this soil is intended to be used to flower many rounds in the same pot, unmolested.
**this soil mix at the time im typing this has yet to be tested. I believe it to be very good, with solid ratios and im also going to have it tested. I encourage people to mix some up if they are so inclined and report back with the results.
edited again 2/15. going to go get stuff in Denver today. will screen castings soon and mix up soil. going to send in a sample to be tested for sure.
SHWG Organic Cannabis Loving Soil Mix version 1.3
base mix
30% scoria
25% screened top soil
20% SPM (pre-hydrated with aloe water)
15% premium fresh screened vermicompost
5% bio char, charged with compost tea
5% malted barley seed, whole
1). mix well and hydrate with some aloe water if needed
amendments per cubic foot of total soil volume
1 cup fresh chopped comfrey
1 cup glacial rock dust
1 cup gypsum
.5 cup oyster shell flour
.5 cup ag lime, fine
1 cup kelp meal
.5 cup fish meal
2) mix well and hydrate with aloe water
3) put soil into pots
4) plant dutch white clover seed immediately
5) pots ready for cannabis in about a week or two, use the clovers response to the mix to gauge the readiness of the soil mix.
this mix is designed to be a complete water only soil that is ideal for all life stages of your plants. compost teas, top dressing applications, botanical and enzyme teas are all quite compatible with the mix and may increase productivity, however are not necessary. this soil is intended to be used to flower many rounds in the same pot, unmolested.
**this soil mix at the time im typing this has yet to be tested. I believe it to be very good, with solid ratios and im also going to have it tested. I encourage people to mix some up if they are so inclined and report back with the results.
edited again 2/15. going to go get stuff in Denver today. will screen castings soon and mix up soil. going to send in a sample to be tested for sure.
Last edited:
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
I did locate some food grade soluble calcium carbonate powder 97% on amazon. I think that is the same as the microna lime??
https://www.amazon.com/Grade-Calciu...ords=solution+grade+limestone+powder&th=1#Ask
heres the msds
and its ground to 44 micron
http://www.dudadiesel.com/msds/FGcalcarb.pdf
https://www.amazon.com/Grade-Calciu...ords=solution+grade+limestone+powder&th=1#Ask
heres the msds
and its ground to 44 micron
http://www.dudadiesel.com/msds/FGcalcarb.pdf
Last edited:
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
39.5 ft3(300gal) total soil volume.
base mix
90 gal scoria
75 gal screened topsoil
60 gal vermicompost
45 gal Canadian sphagnum peat moss
15 gal bio char, charged with act prior to mixing
15 gal malted barley seed
amendments for 39.5 ft3 (300 gal) batch
2.5 gallon chopped comfrey
2.5 gallon glacial rock dust
2.5 gallon gypsum
1.25 gallon oyster shell flour
1.25 gallon fine ag lime
2.5 gallon kelp meal
1.25 gallon fish meal
base mix
90 gal scoria
75 gal screened topsoil
60 gal vermicompost
45 gal Canadian sphagnum peat moss
15 gal bio char, charged with act prior to mixing
15 gal malted barley seed
amendments for 39.5 ft3 (300 gal) batch
2.5 gallon chopped comfrey
2.5 gallon glacial rock dust
2.5 gallon gypsum
1.25 gallon oyster shell flour
1.25 gallon fine ag lime
2.5 gallon kelp meal
1.25 gallon fish meal
SkyHighWormGuy
Member
going to fill 12, 15gal smartpots for a flower round that will start in may. will have time to make some kind of adjustments or corrections based on soil test results before we actually flower in this soil. I think its good, and am excited. I think this is an improvement from the Clackamas coots soil mix ive been using.
feel free to comment critique post thoughts, whatever
feel free to comment critique post thoughts, whatever
